There exists a strange phenomenon that has puzzled scientists for many years, and interestingly, only a small segment of the population is able to hear this unusual sound.
While you might hum loudly as a playful annoyance to siblings or colleagues, ‘The Hum’ refers to a peculiar auditory experience reported globally.
Interestingly, this phenomenon is accessible to only about two to four percent of people who can detect it.
Reports of this mysterious sound have surfaced worldwide, with accounts dating back to the 1970s or possibly earlier. It has been heard in various countries, including the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
But what exactly is this sound? As the name implies, it is a strange, continuous hum that seems to lack a specific origin, according to those who have encountered it.
Many theories have been proposed, yet none have definitively explained why this phenomenon is audible across the globe.
Musician and acoustic scientist Benn Jordan addressed this mystery in a YouTube video, offering a theory and demonstrating it on a smaller scale.
Jordan recounted that in Taos, New Mexico, during the 1990s, around 11 percent of the local population reported hearing the hum, which brought significant attention to it.
Some inhabitants were reportedly so disturbed by the sound that they decided to relocate.
According to Jordan, the renewed interest in the phenomenon led to the emergence of conspiracy theories, highlighting a troubling reality: we are still uncertain of its cause. However, Jordan proposes a compelling hypothesis.
He suggested: “Here is my big theory: high pressure natural gas pipelines are packed with as much as 1,500 pounds per square inch of internal pressure.
“The gas travels long distances through these pipelines using pressure differentials between compressor stations.
“This pressure is typically spinning around the edges away from the centre, not only could that centrifugal pressure oscillate the pipe itself but it heats up the molecules so much that coolers are needed down stream from the compressors.”
Jordan demonstrated this theory using a Rijke tube, providing insights into why some viewers believe he may have solved the riddle.
He showed that by heating metal screens within the pipe, it becomes possible to illustrate the sound produced when there are significant changes in temperature and pressure differential inside a pipe.
Surprisingly, the pipe emitted an eerie hum, prompting Jordan to question how much louder it might be if scaled up.
Of course, if you prefer a simpler explanation, you might choose to attribute the sound to extraterrestrial activity.